Email
The most telling part of Manuel Pellegrini's summary of the destruction of Arsenal was the assessment that Manchester City are still searching for a style.
Those who witnessed this rout and who saw the 6-0 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur, the 4-1 humiliation of Manchester United, the 4-0 dispatch of Newcastle United and the 7-0 hammering of Norwich City, would suggest City's modus operandi is already firmly in place.
Instead, Pellegrini mentioned the quest three times in a statement that should frighten other title contenders. "We have the players and we have to find a style of play which is good for this team," the City manager said. "It's a style of play we are trying to work on every day, to be an attacking team. We are a good attacking team but we are a good defending team also. In other games we have also played well – maybe not as well as we played [against Arsenal] but we will continue trying to find a style."
As in those previous demolitions, Arsenal often seemed like spectators as Yaya Touré, Fernandinho, David Silva, Sergio Agüero, Samir Nasri and Álvaro Negredo gave an exhibition of their fast-paced, hypnotic passing-and-movement game, toying with the Premier League leaders.
It took only 14 minutes to create City's opening goal, finished by Agüero's hooked volley. When Theo Walcott equalised, his shot wandering past a stationary Costel Pantilimon, it jarred with the flow.
By half-time City's ascendancy was restored with Negredo's 13th goal of an outstanding debut season. The scoreline swiftly became 3-1 when the impressive Fernandinho slotted his first goal for the club yet when Walcott managed a second, a question was briefly raised over whether City might crumble. Instead, Silva and Fernandinho gave them a three-goal cushion. In the last minute Per Mertesacker bundled in a header but Touré's penalty gave the scoreline a true reflection.
The rejuvenated Nasri said: "We are really confident but we always seem to perform when we play one of the big teams. We did it against United, Tottenham, against Bayern in midweek and now we've done it against Arsenal."
City's travails have been away from their Etihad stronghold, losing four of their opening six matches before the victory over West Bromwich Albion and the draw at Southampton.
"Now we have to do it away from home because we have struggled from the start of the season to perform," Nasri said. "When we play a big game it is easy to get motivation. Big players will always respond when it is a big game but now we know the title race is open. We've come back to three points behind Arsenal and next week they play Chelsea so we have to keep the pressure on."
Pellegrini said: "I can't say what our rivals will be thinking but I am sure we are improving. If you asked me before the game if we would score six against Arsenal, seven against Norwich, six against Tottenham, I would say no. It's not normal."
He again preferred Pantilimon to Joe Hart, although the England No1 had hoped for a recall after playing in the victory at Bayern Munich. In a World Cup season Hart needs regular football to secure his place but Pellegrini said the goalkeeper is responding well to the situation.
"Joe Hart doesn't have any problem. He's not playing at the moment but he's improving a lot. He needs a rest. He knows exactly the way I think about him – and that he will return to the team," Pellegrini said. "So we don't have a problem in that sense. He is always supporting the team and is a great professional.
"It's not a question of waiting for him [Pantilimon] to make mistakes. It's about waiting for the right moment for Joe to come back. We have a lot of games in December and January. I am sure Joe will have his opportunity again because he's a very good goalkeeper."
While Hart should play in night's Capital One Cup quarter-final at Leicester City, Pellegrini is unlikely to have Agüero available for several weeks following the calf injury he suffered in the 50th minute.
The striker, who has scored 19 goals in 20 matches, left the stadium on crutches with Pellegrini talking about how many "weeks" he may be missing. It is the only cloud on a very sunny City horizon.
Man of the match Fernandinho (Manchester City)
;